Kindred Idiots
by Risque Tendencies
Summary: [AoKaga] - Aomine had always figured that if they broke up, it'd be over someone coming between them. Breaking up because of some dumb thing that he'd said - well, that just stung.


**A/N**: This piece is for **kachimatsu**'s _KNB edit+fic contest_ via Tumblr. Believe me when I say I didn't plan on writing this couple when I thought about entering the contest. In fact I shocked myself a lot when I decided on them. Still, the ideas flowed well when brainstorming, and before I knew it, this story was born. It's my first time writing AoKaga so I'm crossing my fingers it sounds all right.

_[Category A]_

_Pairing_: Aomine/Kagami

_Theme_: Breaking Up

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**Kindred Idiots  
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**(**AoKaga**)**

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Frigid air nipped at the exposed surfaces of him as Daiki ambled down the street, course set for nowhere in particular. It was that point of autumn where the winds, blowing crisp and clean, slowly plummeted in temperature with each passing day in preparation for winter.

A season he was wholly familiar with, as it was the time of year where he'd been the most alive in prior years; the season for playing basketball. This annum, however, the sport wasn't dominating his mind. Being a grown-up kind of screwed with old hobbies. Instead you were often made to find new ones, new pastimes that fit into the schedule which one's career took precedence over. Funny how that was, considering what a shaping force basketball had been in his life up til recently.

It was something that had both blessed him with excitement and tormented him with feelings of apathy as he'd grown stronger and stronger with seemingly no end or respite in sight. A game that had introduced him to an eclectic variety of people that he tolerated every now and then, including one whom he tolerated on a more regular, monogamous basis.

_'Shit_.' That summed up the gist of his heart right now.

Without meaning to, yet while in full knowledge of the misstep he was taking, he'd fucked things up with that person. Potentially to the point of them never wanting to see him again, let alone be held by him. It was the way his dumb personality functioned. Aomine was quite self-aware, but occasionally he couldn't stop himself from making mistakes, even as his mind screamed not to do whatever those may be. He knew he was wrong yet did it anyway. Stepping all over his boyfriend's feelings along the journey.

He had no one to blame for Kagami ending things with him but himself. The method by which his mind worked, more precisely.

Instead of working out his frustrations in a healthy manner, he'd snapped at the other man, excising the blame from himself and onto his partner, who had nothing to do with the problem at all. On top of that, he'd let his touchy inner teenager rear its head, telling Taiga he didn't need his help, thank you very fucking much, and to leave him alone to have a little freedom. Maybe it shouldn't have been surprising that a proud guy like the one he was in love with wouldn't take that crap, not even from Daiki, and had tossed him to the curb with a stern conviction that was enviable. Yeah, maybe he should have seen that ending coming.

Today was a week after the event, and Aomine still couldn't deal with the fact that he couldn't return to the apartment they'd shared. He had the strongest itch to walk through the door, sending his coat and shoes flying haphazardly to whatever corner of the entryway he aimed at, and bask in it. Walk up behind his boyfriend, who by no stretch of the imagination _would_ be cooking dinner, and throw both arms around the other's neck, and really be home, then. It was domestic and it was sappy, but it was also something he wanted more than anything right now. It was just so damn cold outside today, okay, and he hadn't had time yet to find a new routine to cap off his evenings with.

If anything, he'd expected their breakup to stem from the outside. Separations on television or in movies typically had to do with some sort of affair, imagined or otherwise. That was the first reason to come to mind when he considered the possibility of Bakagami ever throwing him out.

Not saying he'd sleep around, obviously, but there wasn't much else Daiki could come up with when brainstorming his relationship's demise. As to why he'd bothered being paranoid about that to begin with, it was just that dating Taiga had seemed too good to to last. For all the fighting they engaged in, he thought they made a pretty symmetric pair.

The fact remained though, that between the two of them, they had a really strange group of friends. An assemblage that bordered on being inbred at times, the way some of the others had taken up dating each other as well rather than finding someone outside of the fold. Never mind the fact that in the past, the same thing had gone on, with partners switching pairings like a game of musical chairs.

Kagami, one of the newer members of said group of acceptable people, had all but escaped that. He did fall victim to a lesser form though, merely having feelings for someone else among the number. Aomine didn't care all that much that the redhead once had a crush on Tetsu. He'd had more than his share of sticky dreams to attest that at one time, he'd fancied his shadow too.

Highly unlikely as it was, he'd figured that out of anything, them acting on those old feelings would be the easiest way to tear them apart. So for them breaking up over something that was entirely within his realm of fault stung.

Grinding further down the street he was walking, Aomine reflected on how it had been at that moment.

**. . . . .**

Rolling through like a typhoon, the slam of the front door behind him paled to the mood Daiki was enveloped in. He only hesitated in the entryway for a brief pause, as if mulling it over, before tearing off his jacket and shoes. The outerwear was tossed toward a precarious roost on the edge of the nearest coat hook and his sneakers sprawled against the baseboard, finding a home at completely opposing angles. Patience for small details was a quantity he sorely lacked at any given time, never mind tonight.

Besides, who really cared if it got a little messy? It wasn't like anyone was coming into critique the rooms, and they were both guys. Kagami's neat streak be damned, they - he - was well within his limits of acceptable to not pick up after himself.

Fleeting thoughts of the redhead caused his pulse to gallop unexpectedly, and Daiki marched stubbornly on into the apartment, intent on grabbing a drink to calm down. His intent from the start was just that, to unwind in the short time he had before Taiga woke up so as not to tip the other off that anything was awry with him. He didn't want to burden anyone else, even if he was brimming with frustration.

Their shifts were inconvenient on a normal day, but he appreciated right now that they no longer had the same sleep cycles. Kagami worked nights, sleeping into the afternoon before getting up to cook dinner. He'd always do that right before leaving for the firehouse. Aomine had actually had the same hours in the beginning, that was, until he started being scouted for a detective position within his department. The officer mentoring him for that promotion was on day shift, and thus he'd had to switch at least for the time until his training was complete.

And what a terrible mistake that had turned out to have been.

Reaching the kitchen, he brooded while securing a cold beer from the fridge, not bothering to leave for the living room before he took the first gulp. Drinking wasn't going to solve his problems, but it did make him feel lighter for just a moment. That was enough.

Eventually Daiki collapsed onto the springy sofa in the next space over, resigning himself to have a solid think.

Not since he was in university had he been this stressed out. His mentorship, something he'd imagined would be a piece of cake, was sucking his very soul out. It was like everything that Aomine had learned being a cop thus far was inadequate, or that he'd been doing it wrong all along.

The detective he was shadowing was a stern taskmaster, someone who had narrow views on what the appropriate way to pursue a case was. His teaching style wasn't so much instructive as it was, "Here's this situation, now you go handle it on your own." Daiki had given each test his greatest effort, but it never seemed to be what the elder was looking for.

The problem being that he could have handled it if only the man had then explained how to improve. Or given any helpful feedback at all. Instead, his questions felt like they were ignored, and that pissed him right off. How was he going to proceed if this was how the guy teaching him went about it? Casework wasn't something you could study out of a book and master. It was about instincts, logic, things in the mental sphere - intangible.

Feeling the promotion slipping away from him with each miserable day was the hardest cross to bear of all, though. Especially when he was conditioned to success. Daiki had lost at something before, but he hadn't tasted failure on such a large scale. Losing a basketball game, he'd been able to come back from fairly easily, but this thing with work, not so much. It was consternating not to be able to figure out how to remedy the problem either.

Due to everything going on, he'd been in a foul mood. Life didn't possess many colors recently, and outside of work he couldn't relax. It took all Aomine had to put on a brave front at home, but he wasn't in a fun place. It should have been obvious that he wouldn't be able to hide it for long.

"The TV remote's just in the end table drawer, you know."

Twinned indigo orbs snapped to attention, following the source of the familiar voice. Daiki's lips drew away from the rim of the drink in his hand, and he quickly panicked, unsure of what to say that would sound normal. What he settled on was probably brusque enough to fit the bill.

"I didn't want to turn it on yet."

"Is that right?" Kagami eyed him skeptically as he walked over, appearance rumpled from sleep. "You sure you weren't just stumped, since it was actually put away for once?"

"'Was having a drink first, okay? I was getting there. I hadn't even decided what I wanted to watch."

"That new drama, I bet, the one with all the various love quadrangles." The redhead grinned unmercifully at Daiki's scowl from being caught. "Just because you put the recording into a folder on the DVR doesn't keep it hidden from me. Never knew you were so into that sappy stuff. I guess for our next date night we could go see the new chick flick that's out... what's it called... oh yeah, _Flowers Every Tuesday_?"

"I don't want to see that shit. How about the next night we stay home and I spank your ass since you're such a brat?"

"Settle down, idiot, I'm just teasing you. Anyway, how was work?" Kagami was now fully dug into the couch beside him, arms stretched upward as his words were tempered with a yawn. Taiga was always pretty good about waking up whenever he needed to, but he faced a long period of haziness afterward. His brain didn't work quite right for about an hour after jumping out of bed.

From his vantage, Daiki shrugged. "It was fine, I guess."

"Fine to the point where you're drinking at four in the afternoon?"

He swiveled his gaze to the side, feeling a little bit of irritation bubble up. The guy was staring at him pointedly, expression one where it didn't seem likely that Taiga would let this subject drop. It seemed he'd been found out after all, and the fact only served to piss him off. He was trying to keep his problems to himself for a reason, damn it, so that the idiot didn't have to be worried about them too. Couldn't he be allowed to have that much privacy?

"What's it to you? I'm just blowing off a little steam, nothing much."

"If you were then you'd just go shoot some baskets. You only start drinking for fun or when something serious is on your mind," Kagami countered. "And you don't look like you're having fun, right now. So talk to me about what's really going on."

"Nothing's going on," he persisted gruffly, shoving his drink back up to his lips to occupy them.

"Bullshit."

"Oi, mind your own business-"

"You are my business, idiot!" There was a sudden scraping noise against the floor as the redhead stood, unleashing a fiery gaze upon Daiki in displeasure. The brusque move only pinched at his taut nerves further, and it wasn't long before the indigo-haired snapped to his feet too, pointing the tip of his bottle against Kagami's chest.

"I'm allowed to have problems on my own, Kagami, stop butting in! It's not like you could do anything about this one, anyway, so leave me alone about it, sheesh!" He pushed the drink forward, digging the glass into the other's flesh as if to further emphasize himself. Instead of backing off though, Taiga merely looked down at where they were connected, and then up again, scowling profusely.

"Really? Because you seem to be doing a terrible job of solving it on your own, asshole. It's okay to let other people help you sometimes; it doesn't make you weak or whatever..."

"You ever think maybe I don't want or _need_ your interference? This is something I gotta deal with on my own, so I'd appreciate if you'd stop breathing down my neck every day, asking how work is going. You aren't my mom, not like I told her that stuff anyway, and we don't need to do the thing where we yak about each other's days out of obligation. When I have new news to tell you about work, I'll let you know. How's that?" Daiki sneered, unable to control the words as the flowed from the mouth. It felt good to get that off his chest, but the feeling of jubilation quickly died when it hit him how he sounded.

Before he could back pedal though, the dominoes abruptly fell.

Taiga averted his eyes to the ground, expression unfathomable.

"You know, you really have a way of making a guy feel like an idiot. I was just trying to make it easier on you, since you were having a rough patch with the job and all, but damn. Guess my habit of mother henning you is too overwhelming." He placed a palm over his vision, pivoting away from Daiki and taking a step forward. Right before turning back around and staring the bluenette straight on.

"Actually, you know what? Have your freedom. You can get your stupid ass out of my apartment for the night. Then tomorrow, I'll leave the door unlocked. After I leave for work, come by and pick up your stuff. I-"

Kagami gritted his teeth as if this line was particularly difficult for him. Perhaps it was, although Daiki didn't have the brain cells for interpretation currently. He stood mute there at the center of the living room, gaping like a fish. Was he really hearing what he thought he was hearing? After nearly two years that this thing had _worked_? Over an argument? Gods above, they'd had plenty of those. Why now? Why this battle?

"-I can't deal with this any more. You piss me off so much it's insane."

"Are you serious right now?" Aomine blurted out near immediately. It was all he could think of to say to buy time.

"Yeah... I am. It's my place and... and if you're so bothered by me breathing down your neck, then there's no need to wait until the morning."

More words weren't coming after hearing that statement from his lover. Mercurial as many of their previous arguments had been, this was a new low. The farthest Taiga had ever kicked him out to was sleeping on the couch when they weren't getting along. Had what he said truly been that bad that he needed to vacate the premises? Was this order permanent? What was he going to do tonight, or even tomorrow for that matter if he didn't have anywhere to go?

"Kagami..." he began to formulate, knowing he was probably wearing a pathetic face, "look, if I said something wrong-"

"No, we're not going to do this talking it out thing. I can't. Maybe eventually, but right now, nope." The other male hid his face in his hands a second time, irritation turning his voice rough. "Just... if you don't understand why, I'm not going to tell you. Figure it out on your own."

**. . . . .**

That night had defied logic. Breaking up with Taiga felt like it should have been more tempestuous than it actually was. Sure, he'd been made temporarily homeless in the aftermath of it, but in terms of the words that had been exchanged, it was anticlimactic at best. Or perhaps the full weight of his emotions still wasn't hitting him yet. But it had been a week already. It should have. All that Daiki felt though was a consuming loneliness that he tried his best to ignore. With his continued tailspin at work, that wasn't extraordinarily difficult to do.

Finally his personal life just matched up to the mess that his professional life was. That's all.

As to practical matters, he hadn't had many options of where to go after being evicted, so he'd had to impose on Kise and his boyfriend for the moment.

For the first few days, it had worked out relatively well. During the day all three of them were out of the house, and in the evenings they'd played catch up or watched basketball. The honeymoon period of crashing there was starting to wane, however. There was only so much you could say to one another to pass the time. Not to mention the third one in the house and he didn't exactly see eye to eye on most topics. The guy was polite, sure, but Daiki could just tell.

Come to think of it, Aomine had a sneaking suspicion his being moved in to their guest room was something Kise had done without letting his other half know ahead of time. Judging by the surprise on Kasamatsu's face the first time the raven had spotted him occupying the couch in the living room after work. He may or may not have overheard a loud conversation from the main bedroom that night involving his name. Whatever the case, he hadn't been kicked out the next morning, and that was good enough for him.

It appeared though, that he was wearing out his welcome in a very intimate way.

"Do you think you could go out tonight for a few hours?" Kise had accosted him during his nightly ritual of checking scores on the sports channel, looking as though he was about ready to hop in the shower due to the towel he was holding. Aomine had looked up rather dumbly, confused at the sudden request.

"Um... there's no non-embarrassing way to say this, but I really need to have some alone time with him, okay? Yukio-san refuses to do anything when you're in the house, and I'm dying right now. I'll simply wither away if I can't let off a little steam soon, so can you please, please, please go walk around the block and don't come back until around midnight?"

He couldn't help that his eyes drifted to the wall clock at that point after hearing midnight. It was currently seven. While his brain was partially interested in what Kise was planning that he needed _five whole hours_ for, he also didn't care. And maybe he was a little jealous. Whatever, he was just broken up with - it was natural. There was no one to scratch his itch even if he had one.

"If it's about noise or something, tell him there are other ways. Not that I really care if you guys wanna bang on the headboard, scream, whatever..." Aomine glanced at the slip of linen the blond was toting in the cradle of his arms, inspiration flourishing. "Like, tell him to fuck you in the shower. There's a classic one that should work. I'll stay out here in the living room, and the water will cover up anything I may or may not have heard otherwise."

"I wish! But he's told me before that he finds it too dangerous on account of it being slippery from the water and us standing. Strange, because he really liked it when we made love in the tub before now..." Kise reminisced without humility, a dopey smile overtaking his handsome features. "Yukio-san is so cutely particular like that sometimes. It's okay though, I enjoy trying to find out the things he will let me get away with!"

Pained by them, Daiki mostly ignored the cavity-inducing sentiments the other was spouting in lieu of pushing his friend's buttons just one more time.

"Here's a better solution to your problem: We'll all do it in the shower. I'll make sure _Senpai_ doesn't slip."

"Ugh... but no thank you. I like them short and sweet, Aominecchi, not tall and soulless," Kise interjected primly, visibly unamused at the prospect of his proposition. He clutched his fluffy bath towel a little closer to his chest, staring longingly for the hallway where the entrance to the bathroom resided.

"Who're you calling soulless, Mr. Model? You know I read one time that a lot of folks in other places think every time your picture's taken, it sucks a little bit of your soul out. And by that logic, you're the worst!"

"So mean!"

"You're welcome, I've been working on that," he deadpanned at the fussing blond before circumnavigating back to gaze at the television. It was clear that his host was in no mood to spend time nurturing his still fresh wounds. Not that Kise was the natural choice for that job anyway. Come to think of it, if Tetsu had only been free to put him up, that would have been his first instinct of where to go. Sadly, an inconveniently timed vacation was the wedge between them now.

Though, would the phantom had taken him in even if he wasn't off gallivanting through Europe at Akashi's mercy? In any other situation, Aomine would have been confident that the answer would be an affirmative, but with Kagami entering the equation, that grew nebulous. Tetsu was his best friend, but he was also Kagami's, without a doubt. Asking the bluenette to choose sides was dodgy - he'd probably flatly refuse to do so.

His head was beginning to hurt when he was surprised with a weight on the couch next to him.

"Aominecchi, I think you should go and apologize."

Daiki acknowledged the other again, unsure of how to answer that. Just when he thought Kise wouldn't be any help, here he was spouting off some advice. Who in the hell knew if it was _good_ advice, but it was something at least.

"It's been a week, and though you haven't been overtly sad, I can tell that you are missing him. I don't know how bad you messed things up with Kagamicchi, but he seems like a forgiving person. Like, if you were to go over there and honestly be sorry, he might listen to that. You don't want to be broken up with him forever, right?" Hazel orbs locked his into a serious stare, their owner unrelenting in making sure he had Aomine's undivided attention.

"Not really, I guess."

A glare was shot his way.

"Fine, no, I don't," Daiki revised more decisively even while frowning. "It's just that I don't blame him for dropping me. I can see now that I was being a jerk, and it's embarrassing, okay? How do you go back to someone knowing something like that? It's not easy to admit to that and then ask them to take you back."

"Telling him exactly what you're telling me would be a good start though," his friend responded sagely. "It shows you've at least reflected on it, and you two can talk it out from there. It won't feel nice to have to say that about yourself, but if it's true, it's the truth. No getting around it if you're going to make things right."

"Ugh...this is all so... _fantastic_," he employed sarcastically. "Still, I hate to say it but you're probably right."

"Of course I am. I know all about relationships, as you can probably tell with how well Yukio-san and I get along-" Being that the blond seemed likely to go off on a tangent concerning said relationship, Aomine knew he needed to nip it in the bud. If he didn't, then he'd never leave this couch to try to make his own right again. And as reluctant as he was to throw himself under the bus, it was time.

"Yeah, yeah, cut it out already. I've been here the past few days and I've seen more than enough to haunt my dreams forever."

"There's nothing wrong with us that you'd have a nightmare," Kise insisted.

"...And that's what you think."

**. . . . .**

The only words suitable for the position Aomine found himself in were obscenities. Standing outside his former apartment, he was encompassed by dread. Why had it seemed like a good idea to do this, again? He hoped Kise was busy getting plowed within an inch of his annoying life by now because it was entirely the blond's fault Daiki had made up his mind to come here.

He'd just knock once, wait a few seconds, and then beat it if no one answered.

Raising one clenched fist, Daiki screwed both eyes shut and went for it, rapping his knuckles on the cool metal of the front door. His mind and heart were conflicted on what they hoped would happen. Up top, it was a never-ending chorus of '_don't you dare think about being there to open the door, Bakagami_.' A bit lower, he imagined the courage it'd take to face his issues head on.

Problem was, it felt like the type of courage that would vanish like a puff of smoke as soon as his lover appeared before him. No, if this act of showing up back here led to a confrontation, Aomine was going to be royally fucked either way. It came with the territory of being a shitty person as he knew he had been earlier.

Rather like a death knell, the front door soon creaked open, and he found himself face to face with Kagami. Who, considering he was the one to break up with him, seemed more worse for the wear than even Daiki was.

There were faint semi-circles of dark skin beneath his ruby eyes, and as someone who normally made the effort to keep a good sleep schedule, that was an odd sight. One that only maximized the pit of worry that was beginning to stew within Aomine. His mug didn't probably look that great either with the way life had been wearing on him lately, but seeing Taiga's like that made him feel almost guilty. He had to the be driving force behind the change.

"Hey... are you feeling all right-?" he blurted out without thinking, voice a trace shy once his brain caught up with his actions.

"Are you _sure_ you want to ask me that question?" Kagami gave him the stink eye for all his concern, but, astonishingly, soon revised his attitude. "I see you've cooled down a little bit since last time. Did you want to talk?"

"Yeah. But not out here in the cold."

"All right."

"Really? You're fine with it?" He couldn't help the disbelief in his tone.

"Why wouldn't I be? I've already run the gauntlet of kicking you out. I don't mean to be an asshole, but I have it in me to do it again if I need to."

Well, never mind the notion that the redhead had already forgiven him, or anything wild like that. He was merely too good of a person to spew vitriol when he saw Daiki next.

That trait was convenient, but it also meant he'd have to step up his game when apologizing - this wasn't something that could be easily brushed away. Perhaps by explaining why he'd acted how he did back then, it might seal the deal. He hoped. And in a weird way, Daiki was almost glad that Kagami wasn't so easily won over. He was fairly sure he needed to be with someone strong enough to call him on his bullshit, and Kagami was that to a 'T.' He never backed down.

Several requisite moments of silence then passed and the two ducked inside the apartment to continue their discourse.

When he was led not to the living room but further back into their bedroom, Daiki had to admit he felt like he was receiving mixed signals. Mentioning as much to the redhead, the story behind it ended up being that the heater in the front room was broken and the bedroom's wasn't.

"Fix it?" he suggested, winning an unimpressed face from the man he was trailing.

"I have no idea how. I'm not handy like that, and as much as you like to throw your weight around about these things, you aren't either. You can't even fix the faucet when it's leaking. I'll have a repair guy come out on the weekend and do it. That way, nothing else will get broken."

"Wow, we both suck." Aomine couldn't help but laugh at his own words, both chagrined and amused that it was true. For a moment, he forgot the situation they were in entirely. Being home was something indescribable, even if it only turned out temporary. He'd do his damnedest to see that it wasn't, though.

Kagami briefly turned to him in the hallway, and, he could have sworn a grin lingered over his boyfriend's lips before he turned back around.

And that, that right there, was what he missed the most. Seeing it crushed his chest with a sudden wave of need; even though it was forbidden, he wanted to feel the warmth of the man's arms right now, to hear the laugh which was likely being repressed. With that expression, he knew that, for an instant, Taiga had shared in his joke too. He was trying to be serious, but it was apparent. Daiki needed to learn from that example though; this wasn't the time to be giving into his sentimental desires. First, apologize.

And, in the very instant that Aomine was seated next to Taiga on the end of the bed, his bravery vanished as prophesied.

The other was glancing at him with expectant eyes, waiting for him to offer up the reason he'd come over. They both knew it would fall in the realm of apologies but the question remained, would he get it right? He'd vaguely outlined the words before he left Kise and Kasamatsu's place, but what manner of a clue did Kise have as to what Kagami would want to hear? Putting _all_ of his faith in his friend's advice was dubious at best. Kise wasn't the one who'd lived with the guy for the past two years.

"First of all, a blanket apology. I realize now that you weren't trying to be on my case, and you were probably just trying to be supportive. And instead of be grateful, I was a major dick about everything. Sorry."

"You were, but I guess I can accept that you really are sorry," Taiga murmured after a spell, raising his ruby gaze to look Aomine dead on.

"But, because I don't want to have these fun little arguments any more, I want you to promise me that you won't try to hide things. Even if it seems like a problem you don't want to burden me with, or something I'd be no help in resolving it,_ tell me_. Talk to me. I meant it when I said you're my business, now. We're in it together, like it or not, idiot."

"I-" Daiki cut off for a second, allowing his mind to formulate the questions that'd sprung up in the wake of his other half's sentiments. "You're pretty calm for what I expected. I'll be more open and whatever from now on, but is that it? You're not... mad still?"

"Actually, I kinda stopped being mad a few hours after you left that night. I'm serious about you needing to communicate better, but in reality it wasn't worth kicking you out over. I only did that to make my point. It was a gamble, I'm sorry. I guess there was always a real chance that you wouldn't want to come back to me, and then I would have been the one hurting. I had to do it though, I had to end it with you, at least so you'd know I was serious."

"You are one sick bastard, Bakagami-" he slowly began to snarl, the truth catching up with him now.

"Says the bastard who was so messed up that I had to break up with him to get him to learn a lesson. All because a five year old could share their feelings better than he could."

"Can it! I was really pissed off that night, okay? That should have been obvious. Yelling wasn't the answer, but I felt poked at."

Daiki was aware that he was being a little snappish right now, but geez, to think all his misery was over something as underhanded as that. He'd never have pegged Kagami at being the crafty type, but that's what all this was - crafty. Pointless, too, since he might even have been able to come home that next night, apologize, and be forgiven. Instead he'd wasted a week obsessing over how he was ever going to make it up to the guy.

Aomine took a deep breath in to re-center himself, ignoring his partner for just a moment. He could let this drop if he wanted to. Why drag them both into another shouting match over something that wasn't really the larger issue? He saw no reason. Key on his objectives was explaining why he'd been an asshole a week ago, not berating Kagami for what he'd decided to do about it.

"All right. If you want to hear it, I'll tell you about it now. Why I was being like that."

Kagami perked up on his side of the bed, looking intrigued. Possibly a little surprised as well. Perhaps he hadn't expected such swift disclosure.

"It's something to do with work, isn't it?"

"Yeah, only with work. I don't... have any problems with you. You're always there for me," Daiki offered, lowering his head. He felt entirely uncomfortable with the sap he was spouting off, but at least it was honest. And maybe Kagami deserved to have a little now and then. The guy was more on that end of the spectrum as far as how he comported himself in a relationship - sweet. It couldn't be easy, getting stuck with an emotionally-backwards fool like him.

"Anyway... things haven't been going that great with my mentorship so I'm frustrated. Kind of wondering if I should just bow out for now and go back to what I was doing for a while. Until I have more experience. I don't know how to turn it around from where I'm at."

"What's going wrong with it, or what are you struggling with?"

The redhead edged closer, donning a serious expression. His hand bumped against one of Daiki's balled-up fists on the comforter, offering. An offer he soon took, twining several of their fingers together. Now that things had seemingly cooled down, he was beginning to feel relaxed like he usually did when at home. His anxiety had puttered out with the lack of arguing to fuel it, as well as his lover's composed aura.

"I don't feel like I'm getting the feedback I need from the detective. It's like he's just letting me run myself into failure, and then going 'oh well' from the sidelines. If it was something I could study, I'd just do it, but I _know_ that the type of thinking that I'm lacking is a skill that should come from him. But he's not teaching me. Not one bit."

"Hnn, sounds complicated. I wish I had an immediate solution for you, but my mind's more blank than anything right now. I'm glad you've told me though." Kagami grinned, sheepishly. "However, can we call recess on this til the morning? I'll be more helpful once I'm rested. I've got the day off, so you've lucked out."

He snorted. "Nothing would make me happier than leaving off the topic for a while. I hope you aren't thinking of going right to bed though."

Taking advantage of their linked hands, he reeled the other in, close enough to touch. A quick pause, to make sure he wouldn't be rebuffed, and then his other hand threaded through the thick of Taiga's two-toned mane, pulling him in the rest of the way.

They clashed, and the pressure meeting his lips was something he'd craved a week over. Taiga tasted just as he always had, was warm as he had ever been. Daiki stole a quick bite at his lower lip, all but informing him that there would be no escape. Taiga couldn't hold out forever, not when he wasn't even mad any more. They had a lot of time to make up for, and Daiki planned on starting now.

"-We're gonna need to bring your things back home. I've decided I'll allow your presence here again."

Daiki chuckled mildly against his mouth. "Nope, we're not going anywhere near Kise's until at least midnight."

"Midnight?" Taiga pulled away to stare at him with a weird expression. "Why so specific?"

"Because they're fucking. That's why he kicked me out in the first place, so that he could get his rocks off. I don't really care what I'd see if we went back there, but his boyfriend scares me. I have a distinct feeling he'd be pissed if we interrupted... whatever it is they do when they do it. And I don't want my stuff thrown out the window or anything drastic."

"Change of plans - we'll get your stuff in the morning," Kagami corrected, looking a little ill after hearing the back story. "I for one don't want to see any of that."

"Fine by me."

Leaning into the other's space, he caught Taiga's earlobe between his teeth, nipping at the flesh with voracious intent. When he wasn't stopped, Daiki continued, alternating his mouth to forcefully suckle the redhead's neck. That was what finally gleaned some sound from the guy, Taiga's lips letting a groan filter through. The cadence was low, aroused; it stoked his own fire within, making his quest only that much more urgent.

"Too early for make up sex, or are you enjoying this as much as it sounds like?"

"Yeah, a bit early, considering what a prick you were. Though if you're feeling generous, you could do a little make up something-or-other to me." The redhead shifted supine onto the mattress, opening up his frame for attention. His gaze was lit with that same fiery spark he'd wear when they met each other on the court. Granted, their coupling often ended up being as much of a power struggle. And just as invigorating.

"Missed me that much huh?" Daiki donned a smug sort of smile, infinitely pleased at the conclusion he'd drawn. "Sorry, but if we're getting one cock out, both are coming out eventually. I'm not the generous one in this duo. You are, in case you forgot." He leaned threateningly over his prey, indigo eyes moving over Kagami's abdominals with a fierce hunger. What he wouldn't like to do, if he thought he could get away with it. And he would, but not yet.

Til then, he'd see how far Taiga would let him go, and get what fun he could out of that.

**THE END.**


End file.
